An Overwhelming Sense of Dread: A Prequel to Flames of the Feeonix
by the chatteringmagpie
Summary: A re-telling of the events inside the Borg hive during First Contact. Remains mostly loyal to original canon storyline and dialogue, but with additional material, and incorporation of OC, Ambassador Naseema. Prequel to Flames of the Feeonix. Rated T for themes of a sexual nature. I DO NOT own any material or characters original to First Contact or ST:TNG.
1. The Hive

They had to reach engineering if they had any hope of stopping the invasion, and regaining control of the ship. The plan had been to puncture one of the plasma coolant tanks, flooding the area with gas that would liquify the Borg's organic components, and neutralize the hive, but their party was quickly becoming overwhelmed, and the Borg had already adapted to the phaser rifles, rendering them useless.

Picard was working desperately to release the lock on the doors to main engineering while Naseema remained at his side, determined to protect her captain. He'd wanted her to remain on the bridge, away from imminent harm, but she'd insisted on accompanying the team. She'd proven her value on missions of this nature, time and time again, and Picard knew she would be particularly so in this situation, but he kept her secret from the others, as he had for years. The nearly one thousand year old Feeonix could hear the thoughts of the dangerous and aggressive cybernetic species, just as she could hear the thoughts of other forms of artificial life, including those of the Enterprise's android second officer, Lt. Commander Data. Naseema was a stubborn creature, and she was adamant that she would not sit on the sidelines while she lost the ship, the captain, and her android protector, to the Borg. Once the fiery ring that encircled her large blue irises flared up, Picard knew he was fighting a losing battle with her, so he relented, and agreed to let her join them.

"You must work faster, sir," she said calmly, after Commander Worf informed them their weapons had become nothing more than glorified clubs. Nearly as soon as the words left her lips, the control panel he'd been attempting to tamper with shorted out, and showered them with sparks. The doors flew open and a large Borg drone descended on them. Naseema thrust herself between the drone and her captain, but while she was a formidable opponent, the drone was much larger, and she struggled to keep it from pinning them into the corner.

Just as he did anytime either the captain or the Feeonix was threatened, Data came to the rescue, and was on the drone in an instant. He roughly pulled it off Naseema, and broke it's neck, receiving an appreciative nod from her in return. She and Picard stuck close to each other, and Data stayed close to them as more Borg drones swarmed their position. Another lunged at Picard, and Data tossed it down the corridor into several others, knocking them down like bowling pins. Naseema ducked out of the path of a third, and grabbed Data's arm as he pulled her in close beside him, determined to put himself between her and anything that moved.

"Regroup on deck fifteen! Don't let them touch you!" Picard called out the order to retreat, and in that instant, Data felt Naseema's grip on him falter as she let out a nearly inaudible gasp. His head whipped around to see her eyes roll back as her small frame crumpled to the floor, her hand slipping from his arm as she fell. The drones had attacked her first, and the split-second distraction was all they needed. By the time Data felt his feet yanked from underneath him, it was too late, and he was already being dragged through the opening at the base of engineering's emergency door.

"Captain!" he cried out, but all Picard could do was call the android's name back to him, and watch in horror as the bodies of both his Feeonix ambassador, and his second officer disappeared through the narrow opening before it slammed shut again.

Data pulled back, and thrust his foot out with all his strength, sending the drone who had a hold of his leg, careening backwards. Another came at him from above, attempting to pin his arms down, but the android grabbed first, and flung the drone aside. He turned his head towards Naseema, who lay motionless on her side, with her back to him.

"Naseema!" he called to her, and her silence confirmed for him that she was indeed unconscious. He'd faced dire situations before, and his survival mode kicked in without hesitation. _I must get her to safety_, was the sole thought that raced through his mind. Kicking another attacking drone away, he scrambled towards her on his hands and knees, but didn't make it far before two more drones were on his back. He managed to roll over, but was quickly overwhelmed as more drones fell on him. He arched his head back as he struggled against his attackers. "Naseema! You must wake up!" he yelled, and despite having de-activated his emotion chip, the desperation in his voice was audible. He freed an arm, and shoved one drone into another as he turned on his stomach again, digging his fingers into the grated floor to pull himself forward. He reached towards her, grazing the fabric of her shirt with his fingertips before everything went black.

When he awoke, he was staring at the floor. He couldn't move his limbs, and he turned his head to confirm he was restrained, his arms and legs strapped to a table. He tugged at the bonds as the table began to rotate upwards, giving him a panoramic view of what was once main engineering, and was now the center of the Borg hive. The table continued it's rotation until he was on his back, facing a bizarre-looking collection of tentacle-like tubes that menacingly snaked down from the ceiling, far above him. He caught a brief flash of honey-colored hair in the corner of his eye.

_She is still alive_. _He didn't know if the Borg had already attempted to assimilate the Feeonix ambassador he was supposed to protect, or if such a thing were even possible, but if she were alive, and unrestrained, there was a chance for them to escape, a chance for them to carry out the captain's plan, and rupture the coolant tank. In the meantime, he had to stall the Borg until he could determine Naseema's location, and her present state of mind._

From his prostrate position, he watched a pair of drones attempting to access the Enterprise's main computer. "Your attempts to break the encryption codes will not be successful," he told them. "Nor will your attempts to assimilate me into your collective." He continued to scan the room for any other sign of Naseema, but then a strange, disembodied voice began speaking to him. A female voice, soothing and yet threatening all at once. He found his attention captured.

"Brave words," the voice said. "I've heard them before. From thousands of species, across thousands of worlds, since long before you were created. Now, they are all Borg."

Data was unimpressed by the voice's assertion. "I am unlike any lifeform you have encountered before," he replied coolly. "The codes stored in my neural net cannot be forcibly removed."

"You are an imperfect being, created by an imperfect being," the voice said, it's confidence unwavering. "Finding your weakness is only a matter of time." The voice's final, ominous statement was directly followed by an abrupt, high-pitched whirring noise directly on his left. As the drill began to bore through his duranium skull, Data began to formulate his next move.

_He contemplated continuing to question the strange voice, knowing he would get no response from the drones, but decided it was in his best interest to remain still while the drill bored into his brain. Even the smallest movement on his part could result in irreparable, and possibly fatal damage. He tried to determine what the purpose of their exploration into his head was. Were they attempting to discern whether or not he could be assimilated? Were they really trying to remove the encryption codes by force? Was some other, entirely different, insidious motive? Were his emotion chip active, he was certain this entire scenario would be anxiety inducing, to say the least, and was glad the captain had suggested he de-activate it earlier. He had given serious thought to having it removed permanently, once Geordi had been able to repair the damage it had caused when it fused to his relay. He found that once the initial thrill of experiencing what was so significant to his human companions, wore off, he struggled to control his emotions more than he'd anticipated. He didn't like now having to contend with so much fear and self-doubt. He also found he still had difficulty understanding humor. He had naively thought the chip would make the concept of humor clear, but it's subtle nuances and variations were far more complex than he'd initially anticipated, and he found he still missed the punchline most of the time. It was the friendships he shared with Geordi and Naseema that finally cemented his determination to master control of the chip's effects on him. He felt relaxed around Geordi. The engineer had always accepted him for who he was, and while hesitant at first, Geordi ultimately accepted the chip as well. They had a good time together, they enjoyed the same things, and their conversations flowed easily. Geordi did his best to continue explaining why some things were funny at certain times, but not at others , and why some things were funny, but innappropriately so. It was exhausting, and while he wasn't able to become tired, Geordi was, so he finally decided to cut his losses, and accept that there were some things he just wasn't going to get. His relationship with Naseema, on the other hand, was something entirely different. When the chip had first overloaded his relay, and fused into his brain, he became convinced he couldn't control his emotions. His first experience with fear had nearly gotten Geordi killed, and had so severely shaken his faith in himself, he'd been desperate to be deactivated until it could be removed. Picard had refused his request, and told him he must learn to incorporate his new emotions into his life, and while he'd accepted the captain's decision, Naseema's reaction had been of a more convincing nature. It was one of the only times she had been forceful with him, grabbing his face, and forcing him to look at her. "Listen to me," she'd said, almost angry with him. "You can do this." He'd tried to look away from her. "I cannot," he'd argued weakly, but he only succeeded in strengthening her resolve, and she responded by tightening her grip on him. "Yes you can!" she'd barked in his face, her penetrating eyes carried an expression so deadly serious, he knew better than to argue with her further, and if she believed that strongly in him, he did not want to disappoint her too, since he was already disappointed with himself. After that, it hadn't taken him long to realize he liked the way he felt when he was with her. She was intelligent, fun, and she told him the most exciting, exaggerated stories, speaking with her hands and eyes, as well as her mouth. Like him, she imitated humans, and her centuries of practice had made her very good at it. She was able to teach him the subtleties and idiosyncrasies that came so naturally to the humans, they couldn't necessarily explain them, themselves. He wanted to keep the chip, just so he could keep the emotions she could draw out of him with seemingly effortless ease. She had tipped the scales in favor of the good feelings. While he was uncertain of what the disembodied voice had planned for him, or for Naseema, he decided then, that regardless of what happened to him, he needed to bring her home. _

He used his peripheral vision to continue searching for another glimpse of Naseema while the irritating whir of the drill continued in his ear.

_Once the drilling stopped, he would press for information on the missing Feeonix, and refuse any kind of co-operation until he was assured of her safety. His android strength, and speed would serve him well, and he was confident that he could escape with them both, whether Naseema was mobile, or not. He just hoped the drones wouldn't disable him before his opportunity presented itself._

He tried to focus his thoughts on something more pleasant, when the drilling abruptly stopped. He turned his head in an attempt to see what the drones were doing, and everything went black again.

_**Naseema**__,_ the voice said softly. Naseema didn't answer. She remained sitting in the chair she had no idea how she'd ended up in, staring at the bulkhead. Upon receiving no answer, the gentle voice continued, _**That is your name, is it not, Feeonix**__?_

_**Yes**__._

_She didn't want to answer, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She felt strange, as if she were floating around inside her own mind. She could hear the voice as clearly as if it were speaking right in her ear, but there was nobody there, and she already seemed to understand the voice was not audible to anyone but her. There was nobody else there to speak to, nobody but Data...Data...where was Data? The last thing she remembered was standing next to him in the corridor outside engineering. He would not have abandoned her. Where was he? Where was she? This looked like engineering, but..._

_**Your android companion is fine, don't be concerned**__,_ the voice told her, it's warm, soothing quality was relaxing, and made Naseema feel drowsy. _**He is proving to be very unco-operative. We need your assistance, Naseema**__._

_**Alright**__._

_**We are not unreasonable**__,_ the voice said._**We are willing to offer something in exchange for his compliance, but we do not know what sort encouragement would be effective**__. _

Naseema smiled to herself._ Sweet, gentle Data. He was always so good to her. If she could get him something he wanted, what was the harm in that?_

_**What enticement did you have in mind**__?_ she asked. _She liked this form of communication. It was so effortless, so easy. She wished she could talk to Data like this. She wished he could hear her thoughts the way she could hear his. She wished he knew how she felt about him, how wonderful and special she thought he was. She should have told him...before this._

_**You can hear his thoughts, Naseema. That is why we came to you**__,_ the voice said. _**You know what he desires better than anyone else. We can make his greatest dreams come true. We only need to know what it is he wants. You can tell us what that is. Will you tell us, Naseema?**_

_**Yes**__,_ she replied. _**More than anything, he desires to be human**_.


	2. Was That Good For You?

When Data woke up next, he was still on his back, his arms and legs still pinned to the table, but the restraint across his chest was gone. Instead, there was now a long piece of medical equipment with lights and tubes, arched over his forearm. The Borg drones were still milling around him, and when he quickly scanned the room, he still couldn't see Naseema. He watched the drones briefly, before his sense of urgency finally got the better of him. "Where is Ambassador Naseema?" he asked. Two of the drones in Starfleet uniforms looked at him as if they recognized the name, but didn't offer any form of verbal response. He sighed, and then the disembodied voice returned.

"Are you ready?" it asked, in a slow, seductive manner.

"Where is the ambassador? Have you harmed her?" he asked in response. "Has she been assimilated?"

The voice laughed softly. "No, she has not been assimilated...yet. Don't worry, she is fine," the voice said. "You may see her soon. She misses you, and she's quite fond of you, Data. She's very beautiful, don't you think?"

Data furrowed his brow. _He didn't understand the point of this line of questioning. How would Naseema's beauty affect the Borg's usual course of action? They would either assimilate her, or deem her a threat, and kill her. All he wanted to know was which action the Borg had opted for_. "I fail to see how her physical appearance is relevant to the current situation," he replied. "I only wish to know that she has not been harmed."

"So you feel nothing for her?"

He arched his eyebrow this time, searching the room for either a body belonging to the voice, or Naseema._ He was intrigued by this voice's insistence that he discuss the ambassador in this manner. The Borg did not feel, so why did they insist on knowing what he felt for her?_ "I do not believe my personal feelings regarding the ambassador are any of your concern, but if you insist, it is my duty to protect her, and she is my friend. I am concerned for her well being," he calmly answered.

"I see," the voice said. "She is here. She will join us soon."

"Who are you?" he asked, his curiosity about the voice finally getting the better of him.

"I am the Borg."

"That is a contradiction," he replied. "The Borg have a collective consciousness, there are no individuals." His gold eyes continued to search the room for the source of the voice. The snake-like hoses descending from the ceiling began to move, and his gaze darted towards them. The artificial tentacles were lowering a female bust, head and shoulders only with grey, mottled skin, towards the floor. The head had no hair, only thin tubes protruding from it's crown, tangling around each other before they disappeared under the skin again, at the nape of the neck. The face was sharp, with piercing silver eyes, and deep red lips. She was beautiful in an eerie, otherworldly way.

"I am the beginning, the end, the one who is many. I am the Borg," she purred. Her exposed metal spine hung down below her shoulders, and writhed, it's red lights glowing bright and brilliant in the shadows, until it slid into it's housing, a slim female body, clad in the heavy armour of the Borg. She sighed gently as the clasps of her body snapped into place, and fixed her two pieces into one.

Data's eyes widened with fascination at the dramatic entrance. The female started towards him, and he became overcome with interest. "Greetings. I am curious, do you control the Borg collective?" he asked.

"You imply disparity where none exists. I am the collective," she replied, moving closer.

"Perhaps I should rephrase the question. I wish to understand the organizational relationships. Are you their leader?" he asked again.

_He wanted to know where Naseema was, and this being was obviously the one who would be able to answer his inquiries. He clearly didn't understand the nature of the Borg construct as well as he thought he did. This being had independent thought, and appeared to be a separate entity from the drones in the hive, almost as if she were...their queen. He knew he could learn a great deal from this...being...she was female, but he was hesitant to label her a woman. She was not a woman by his understanding, not that it would matter even if she was. It wasn't like he knew how to manipulate a woman anyway. His best course of action was to indulge this being, and her questions for now. Hopefully she would let him see Naseema soon._

"I bring order to chaos," the queen said, as if her statement made perfect sense. To her, it probably did.

"An interesting, if cryptic response," Data mused, and he followed her with his eyes as she began to circle around the table.

"You are in chaos, Data," she said with a knowing resolve. "You are the contradiction. A machine who wishes to be human."

_How did she know that? He was beginning to feel like he was dealing with a female version of his brother, but she was less obvious, and she lacked the sneering rage that dominated Lore's personality. Naseema must have told her, but why would she reveal such a thing to this...stranger? This being had told him Naseema was fine, and so far unassimilated. Had she been manuipulated or even tortured into revealing information about him? This being must have lied to him. Naseema would not have revealed anything willingly, and it certainly wouldn't be the first time a female had lied to him in order to gain something from him, nor would it be the first time he had fallen prey to such deceit. _

"Since you seem to know so much about me, you must be aware that I am programmed to evolve, to better myself," he replied, determined not to be baited in this time.

"We too are on a quest to better ourselves. Evolving toward a state of perfection," the queen calmly insisted, continuing to circle him until she came back to where she'd first appeared, and stood there, staring at him.

"Forgive me, but the Borg do not evolve," Data said. "They conquor."

_He didn't really care if he had the queen's forgiveness, but if Naseema had already been harmed, he was concerned she would be injured further if he put up too much of a fight. He would save the fight for later, once he knew what had become of Naseema._

"By assimilating other beings into our collective, we are bringing them closer to perfection," the queen continued. She carried the arrogance of centuries old royalty, and her statements had the self-righteous air of one who truly believed what she was doing was for the greater good.

Her conceit encouraged Data to challenge her more boldly. "Somehow, I question your motives," he responded with more than just a hint of condescension.

A sly, unnerving smile spread across the queen's lips. "That is because you haven't been properly..._stimulated_ yet," she smirked, and waved her hand in a summoning gesture.

Data frowned, knowing she didn't intend any kindness behind her veiled threat, and then he caught it in the far corner of his vision. The blonde hair. He jerked his head in the same direction, and watched as Naseema glided towards the queen, walking with the same easy grace she always did, but as she drew closer, he noticed that something about her wasn't the same.

_There was something terribly wrong about her sudden appearance. Why was she moving so slowly? Completely unfettered? She didn't appear to be harmed in any way, yet she also seemed to be moving on the direction of the queen. She was smiling, and her face was placid and un-moved by their predicament. His predicament. He was strapped firmly to this table with holes in his head, and whatever else had been done to him when he'd been unconscious. She floated across the room as if she were completely at home in this bastardized, violated version of engineering. What else had she told the queen about him, the captain, the crew...the ship?_

As Naseema came up to stand beside her, the queen reached her hand up, and stroked it gently down the length of the Feeonix's now long, loose hair. Data silently stared at her, searching her calm expression for some kind of acknowledgement. Now that she was in the pool of light surrounding the table, he could see what had concerned him about her appearance a second ago. The fiery ring in her eyes was gone, and her normally dark blue irises were now black...black and empty. Naseema looked up at the queen, the calm, eerie smile still on her lips, and the queen looked back at her.

_**He is ready now, Naseema**_, the queen said, and Naseema glanced at Data, blinking slowly.

_**Excellent. Shall we proceed your highness?**_ she replied.

_His eyes darted back and forth between the two females. They were communicating somehow, that he was sure of. He felt a strange, unpleasant sensation creep through him. It was dread, an overwhelming sense of terrible dread that quickly turned to terror when he heard the miniscule beep inside the back of his skull signalling him that his chip had been reactived._

He gasped loudly as the sudden rush of feeling came over him. "You have reactivated my emotion chip," he said, his voice shaking and desperate. "Why?" He looked at Naseema, struggling to control his facial expression. She tilted her head to one side, but he couldn't tell if it was in curiosity or sympathy. The queen watched her as she moved to stand at the far end of the table, between his feet, before she climbed on top of it, and crawled up towards him until she was straddling his hips. She rested her weight down, and leaned forward, propping herself up, her forearms on his chest. She pressed her hips into his as she adjusted their position slightly, and he let out a tiny whimper. He searched her eyes for any sign of a plan, a trick, anything, but there was nothing. He couldn't even differentiate the separate parts of her eyes anymore, they had all blended together into slick, oily blackness.

Do not be frightened," she purred, and touched his cheek gently. The queen watched silently from the sidelines, a satisfied grin across her full, crimson lips.

I am not frightened," he replied pathetically, not even able to convince himself with his response.

Naseema smiled gently, and kissed his forehead. "You have never been afraid of me before, Data, and you have no cause to be now. There is a reason your chip has been reactivated, and I will show you why," she said. Her voice was calm and soothing. She was trying to pacify him, and it was working. He took a deep breath, and felt some of the crushing tension release itself. The piece across his arm snapped open suddenly, and he jerked his head towards the sound. Naseema smiled again.

The queen took a step towards him, and motioned to the spot on his arm where his bioplast skin had been flayed, and replaced by a small square of what looked like human skin. "Do you know what this is, Data?" she asked as her left brow bone rose up enigmatically.

"It would appear you are attempting to graft organic skin onto my endo-skeletal structure," he replied, nervously glancing between Naseema, and the queen. The Feeonix remained silent, still smiling, and gazing down at him affectionately. The excessively calm expression on her face was making his anxiety rise. _There was definitely something wrong with her._

"What a cold description, for such a beautiful gift," the queen said. She looked at Naseema, and motioned towards the new skin with her eyes. _**Now, Naseema,**_ the queen told her. _**Show him what you can give him. What we can give him.**_ Naseema nodded her reply.

_He knew they were communicating again. He didn't like these ominous, silent exchanges between the two females. The Borg had done something to Naseema. They were making her behave in this strange manner. She had never tried to exert her sexual energy over him before, yet that was exactly what she was doing now. She knew it didn't affect him the way it affected organic males. Why was she even attempting to influence him this way?_

Naseema met his eyes again, and tilted her head slightly. Then she moved her arms, bracing herself against the table's surface as she leaned to one side. She brought her mouth close to the grafted skin, and exhaled a gentle breath, blowing it across the tender flesh. It tightened, and goosebumps raced across it as it's tiny hairs rose up in response to the delicate wind gliding across them. The sensation was powerful, incredible, and his eyes widened as it exploded in his brain. He couldn't control his reaction. He gasped with shock, and blinked rapidly as his back arched up, and he jerked against his restraints.

_What a marvelous feeling! All of his circuits were tingling, and he suddenly liked that she was on top of him, her weight resting on his hips. He'd felt her breath before, but never like this! How could something so simple create such a mind-blowing chain reaction throughout his whole body?! He wanted her to do it again!_

The residual effects were still zipping through him when she straightened herself up, and looked down at him, a pleased grin on her face. "Was that good for you?" she asked suggestively.

He blinked several more times as he held his eyes on hers, an awestruck expression on his face. He tried to respond, but all he could manage was a long, whimpering sigh. He was so overwhelmed, he couldn't even form a coherent thought.

The queen remained completely silent, the same satisfied smile on her lips as before. Naseema glanced over at her. _**He likes it,**_ was all she said before returning her gaze to Data's.


	3. One Little Push

The Borg drones went to work after that, stripping the artificial skin from his wrist to his elbow, and carefully, precisely, replacing it with organic flesh from an unidentified donor, likely one or more of the assimilated Enterprise crewmembers. He watched them with fascination, his curiosity over-powering his emotions for the time being. They had righted the table into an upright position, and Naseema stood a few meters away, quietly watching her android protector with an unwavering gaze. The queen slowly circled the area, observing the drones, occasionally glancing at the Feeonix.

_They have control of her somehow, he'd decided. He knew Naseema was vulnerable to certain types of mind-control and sedative compounds, and he deduced that the queen must be using one or more to keep her complacent. He had still not been able to find any indication that she had some trick hidden up her sleeve, or that she was somehow bluffing the queen until she could free him. He would have to get them out of here without her help, and possibly as she resisted him as well. He would carry her if he had to, either way, he had no intention of leaving her behind. He knew he would be taking an enormous risk if he had to force her to go with him, but the captain's order had been with regard to assimilated crew members. Naseema had not been assimilated, and he knew the queen was using her to get to him. If he left her behind, he feared the Borg would kill her, or worse, and he couldn't bring himself to let that happen, he couldn't...wouldn't...let her go. He didn't care how the captain might react, that his future in Starfleet would be severely crippled, or simply over...she meant to much to him, and he didn't think he would be able to forgive himself if he left her here to some unknown fate. The drones were repeatedly releasing the bond at his wrist, and he was sure his opportunity was nearing. He just needed to keep the queen distracted a little while longer._

"Tell me, are you using a polymer-based, neural relay to transmit the organic nerve impulses to the central processor of my positronic net?" he asked in a ridiculously casual manner. "If that is the case, how have you solved the problem of increased signal degredation inherent to organo-synthetic transmission-" he continued, barely pausing to breathe, until the queen cut him off.

"Do you always talk this much?" she asked, slightly irritated. She was behind him, and he was unable to see her face, but he watched as Naseema's gaze broke from his briefly to look at the queen.

_She seemed nervous. Perhaps the plan is not going as well as expected. That could work in his favour. He decided to continue with his interrogation. If he could irritate the queen with his continuous chatter, maybe she would reveal something unintentionally._

"Not always," he shrugged, "but often."

Naseema smiled again. _**It is true. He does talk a great deal. I find it to be rather endearing. He is very intelligent, and you will come to appreciate it.**_

_**It is not his intelligence that annoys me, but the continuous whine of his voice. Can you not teach him to communicate as we do? Effectively, efficiently, without expending so much excess energy?**_ the queen asked.

_**I like the sound of his voice,**_ Naseema replied, somewhat disappointed by the queen's reaction to Data's inquisitiveness._ She'd always found his curiosity adorable, and he had such a lovely voice, smooth and gentle. __**I suppose I could teach him, but it will take some time, time I do not believe we have to spare right now.**_

_She wasn't sure why she was continuing to co-operate with this being. The queen was malevolent, and manipulative. She knew she was being used to control Data, and she loathed what she was helping the queen do to him, but it was as if the rational, conscious part of her mind was trapped inside her, unable to move...or even scream. The coolant tank was just on the other side of the room. She could get there if she tried. The Borg drones were strong, but so was she, and she was quick and agile. She could maneouver around them, she was sure of it, but it was as if her feet were glued to the floor. The predator part of her was dominating the calmer, gentler part, and it was enjoying the freedom. It liked the way Data was reacting to her. She could hear nearly every thought that raced through his mind. He knew something was wrong with her. He didn't blame her for what was happening, and he was determined to save them both. He was horrified at being the subject of the queen's experiment, but he was curious as well, and he'd most definitely liked the sensation she'd given him by stimulating the grafted flesh on his arm. His response had been better than she'd hoped. The glorious expression on his face, his whole body tensing underneath her, his uncontrolled gasp of excitement. It was the closest thing to a sexual acclimation she'd ever witnessed from him. She wanted to feel him react like that again, and she knew he wanted it just as fiercely._

The queen snorted with derision, and turned her gaze to Data as she came into his view. "Why do you insist on utilizing this primitive linguistic communication?" she asked him. "Your android brain is capable of so much more."

"Have you forgotten?" he replied coolly. "I am endeavouring to become more human." He glanced at Naseema to gage her reaction, but she remained stoic, watching the queen for instructions.

"Human," the queen derided. "We used to be exactly like them, flawed, weak..._organic_, but we evolved to include the synthetic. Now we use both to attain perfection." She moved behind Naseema, and brushed the Feeonix's hair with her fingers, but didn't break her stare. "Your goal should be the same as ours."

Data frowned, and smirked skeptically. "Believing oneself to be perfect, is often the sign of a delusional mind," he sneered. His ploy was working. The queen was becoming more annoyed every time he opened his mouth.

"Small words, from a small being trying to attack what he doesn't understand!" she hissed.

Naseema turned her eyes to the queen. _**Remain calm, your highness. He is pushing you on purpose.**_

Data maintained his bold stance. "I understand that you have no real interest in me," he snapped. "That your goal is to obtain the encryption codes to the Enterprise computer." He glared defiantly at the queen while Naseema looked between them both.

_**Your highness...**_

The queen relaxed her aggressive posture, and smiled at the android. "That is one of our goals," she said, suddenly calm again. "One of many, but in order to reach it, I am willing to help you reach yours."

Data didn't respond, but instead turned to watch the drone working on his arm. It fastened the last loose end of the organic skin, and started to close the restraint, but before it snapped into place, Data threw his arm forward against the metal clasp, flinging it open. He slammed his fist backwards into the drone's face, and then his slender fingers moved like lightning on the table's control panel, releasing the rest of his bonds. He nimbly dropped to the floor, and ran at the closest drone. He ducked under it's swing, and forced it over the nearby railing.

Naseema was frozen in place, both sides of her mind at a loss to react.

_She wanted to help him, make a run for the coolant tank...or the door, but her feet wouldn't move. The predator told her to stay where she was, to resist him if he tried to take her with him. His attempt to escape is hopeless, it said. Stay here, it said. If you help her, she will give him to you. That is what you really want...there were too many instructions, too many voices telling her what to do. She couldn't keep this up, it was turning her brain to jelly...Data...please...help me..._

She watched with a fascinated expression as her android protector turned, and plowed over the second drone coming at his back. Not bothering to ascertain the queen's position, he bolted forward, and grabbed the Feeonix's hand in his own as he ran for the exit, dragging her behind him.

Something incredible happened then. As his hand touched hers, Data felt a powerful surge rocket up his arm to his brain. He didn't see the flame in her eyes flare up at that moment, and quickly recede back into blackness, but he heard her gasp.

_Just like that, his whole life flooded into her mind. She gasped because the sensation was like water rushing into her lungs, overwhelming, suffocating, like being suddenly plunged into deep water without the chance to take a breath first. The startling, total awareness of everything in his mind was awe-inspiring, and as the torrent of images, and sensations washed over her, she realized she was well beyond his conscious thoughts. She had made it all the way to his unconscious mind. He, himself, was largely unaware of everything he held there. His conscious thoughts drifted through the powerful tide of all his mind contained, and only they were audible. He knew he should have left her behind. She knew he should have left her behind. She was under the Borg's control, as good as assimilated, but he wouldn't do it, he couldn't bring himself to leave her. It was hard to separate most of his individual emotions, they all bled into each other, but she was overcome by feelings of love and devotion, and while they weren't hers, they were for her. They were Data's, and they weren't memories or reflections of another's experience. They were genuine, raw, and astoundingly real. He was in love with her. That was why he wouldn't leave her behind. He knew she was important to him, but he didn't understand why. All he knew was that something inside him was telling him he needed her. Now she knew why, and she knew why better than he did. They were feelings she knew all too well. She was in love with him just as powerfully. _

He tore for the exit, pulling Naseema close to him while the queen stood firm, and seemed to simply watch as her quarry made their escape. Then she nodded, and the forcefield blocking the door activated. Data slammed into it, and staggered backwards a step, his grip on Naseema's hand lost. She fell out of his mind, and the abrupt severing of their connection disoriented them both. She blinked several times, trying to adjust, and Data spun around desperately searching for another escape route. He jerked back, startled, and as a drone swung down at him, he thrust his arm up to block the blow. The arm with the delicate, new flesh. The Borg's sharp implement slashed through it, and the acute pain was blinding. He cried out, and Naseema looked at him precipitously, blinking several times, her features completely void of expression.

The queen raised her hand, and the drones dissipated as quickly as they had swarmed, leaving the Feeonix and the android to stand alone in the middle of the floor. Data brought his eyes up to Naseema's as the queen approached, and they were overflowing with terrified agony, just like the rest of his face.

_He'd never experienced pain before, and he never wanted to again. The frightening, excruciating sensation had nearly brought him to his knees, and he was ready to bend to the queen's will, and give her anything she wanted to make this stop. He felt tears flooding up in his eyes as he stared at Naseema, and forced them back. He didn't know what had just happened, but something had. Something of great enormity. He saw a brief glimmer of her real self behind the black holes where the beautiful blue had been this morning, but in a flash, it was gone. His thoughts were a racing wreck as he tried to collect himself. He desperately wanted her to come to him, take his face in her soft, little hands, and tell him he was okay, that he could handle this, and that he was still her hero, despite this terrible mess they were in. He wished for a million different scenarios then. He wished they were on the bridge, keeping night watch, and he was chattering away about warp core reconfigurations or cat food supplements while she pretended to be interested. He wished they were in Ten Forward with Geordi and Guinan, him trying to understand why Commander Riker's joke was so hilarious, while the other three tried to explain it. He wished they were in her quarters, listening to Mozart as she whipped him at Klingon scrabble. None of those instances were happening now, and his escape attempt had failed. His brain screamed at him to pull it together, and formulate another plan. There was still the warp coolant tank, and if he could get to it, he could stop this, but he had to stay calm, and he had to convince the queen that he would not make anymore trouble or she would have her drones strap him back down to that dreadful table._

He glanced at the queen, moving towards them, and back to Naseema, who hadn't moved, hadn't broken her gaze away from him._ He ached for her to touch him, and give him some small sign she was still in there._

"Is it becoming clear to you yet?" the queen finally spoke as she neared them. Both her voice and expression were mocking. "Look at yourself, standing there cradling the new flesh that I have given you. If it means nothing to you, why protect it?"

He turned to face her, his features still twisted in a portrait of pain and fear. "I-I am simply imitating the behavior of humans," he said. His voice was shaking almost uncontrollably as he employed all his inner strength to maintain what little calm he had left.

The queen moved to stand beside Naseema, and threw her a skeptical glance before turning her penetrating, silver eyes back on the terrified android. "You're becoming more human all the time, Data," she sneered. "Now you're learning how to lie."

His lashes fluttered as he tried to avoid the queen's icy stare, and he took a hard, exaggerated breath to steady himself. "My programming was not designed to process these sensations," he stammered, pathetically reaching for any answer he could find. He looked at Naseema again, anxiously, begging her with his eyes to help him, but she stayed frozen in position, still watching the queen.

_**Naseema, this is not working. He is not convinced, **_she said, keeping her gaze on Data.

_**It is working, highness. He is terrified now, and he will do nearly anything to end this, but he will not be able to bring himself to do the one thing he has to do to make that happen, **_Naseema replied._** Tell him to remove the graft. He loathes it, but he wants what it can give him more.**_

A wicked grin spread across the queen's lips as she took Naseema's suggestion. "Then tear the skin from your limb as you would a defective circuit," she told him. He brought his opposite hand up, and gripped the edge of the grafted skin. More shoots of pain raced up to his brain. "Go ahead, Data, we won't stop you," she dared, staring him down. Naseema watched him from her spot beside the queen, visibly unmoved by the hurt written across his face. He winced, and his resolve wavered as the queen continued to taunt him.

_He wanted to do it. He wanted to be rid of this cursed skin. True, he wanted to experience humanity desperately, but not like this. This was twisted, and wrong, but at the same time, he knew if he did tear it from his arm, the queen would know he couldn't be swayed, and he was more afraid of what would happen to him...and to Naseema, if he couldn't keep the queen convinced that he was weak._

"Do it!" she snapped, grinning nastily. "Don't be tempted by flesh."

_Flesh. The word snapped her out of her slight daze. Being inside Data's mind was discombobulating, and she was struggling to stay focused on what was happening. Her rational half was still vainly continuing it's struggle against the predator, and the internal battle was exhausting. _

She finally focused her eyes, and looked at the android whose own eyes were pleading with her to help him.

_She wanted to help him, but that part of her was still trapped by whatever it was the queen was using to control her. The calm, gentle ambassador was becoming weaker, more faint, and fading into her mind's recesses. The predator was winning, howling up from her core like an enraged animal, bringing the lust with it. It took over quickly. It was going to get what it wanted from this android. He wasn't going to fight. His will was nearly broken. All he needed was one little push..._


	4. A New Plan

_**Flesh!**_she cried.

_**What?!**_

_**The answer was deep in his mind, buried under all his logic and reasoning! He wants me, highness. If I offer myself to him, he will fall,**_ Naseema said as Data glanced nevously between them, his panic quickly rising as he realized his situation was worsening.

_**Do it.**_

"Are you familiar with physical forms of pleasure?" the queen asked him, suddenly changing the tone of their confrontation. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as Naseema began to move towards him, and a threatening, yet demure expression took over her features. She smiled at him, and her inky black eyes began to shine.

Data's eyes widened as the growing panic rushed in, and took over. He started to back away from the approaching Feeonix, and swallowed hard. He didn't know which female he should look at, but it didn't matter anyway, he couldn't pull his gaze from Naseema's as he forced himself to answer the queen's deeply personal question. "If you are referring to sexuality...I am...fully functional," he stammered, suddenly horribly embarrassed by his lack of experience. His back hit a solid surface, and he jumped, realizing he was trapped. "Programmed in multiple techniques," he weakly finished with a shrug.

_He didn't like where this was going at all. Naseema was scaring him, and he didn't know how to react to her like this. He could feel the energy radiating from her, and it was frighteningly strong. He knew once she reached him, no matter how hard he wished for it, it wouldn't be her. Her touch wouldn't be the tender, affectionate one he was used to. The queen was staring at them, waiting to see what Naseema was going to do, and what he would do in response. He didn't want this to go where he was sure it was going, but he had no way out. He wouldn't harm her, and there was no escape. He was cornered, and she was going to hurt him._

The queen continued her interrogation. "How long has it been since you've used them," she asked with a condecending smirk, not moving from her position, watching with satisfaction as Naseema pushed up against him. She glided her fingertips up the organic flesh, along the inside of his arm, away from the damaged, sore part on the other side. It responded to her delicate touch with a fresh burst of goosebumps, and the same pleasurable feeling as before flooded through him.

He let out a quiet sigh as some of his fear, and self-consciousness evaporated. "Eight years, seven months, sixteen days, four minutes, twenty-two-" he replied to the queen without moving his eyes from Naseema's.

Naseema interrupted him before he could finish, her mouth nearly touching his as she whispered, "Far too long." Then she pressed her lips to his. He closed his eyes, and let it happen. He felt her hands make their way up his arms, and around his neck before sliding into his hair.

_He wasn't as afraid now. He'd braced himself for more pain, but instead of tensing up as he'd anticipated, his body relaxed. Her lips were soft, and she was far more gentle than he'd expected. The sensation of her caress was still buzzing through his circuits, and the emotional response he was experiencing was far stronger than he thought it would be. Mere seconds ago, he was terrified. Afraid of her, more afraid of the queen, but in this instant, it was as if the universe was melting away, and only the two of them were left. He liked the feeling of her mouth on his, and somehow she knew he'd wanted this. Perhaps not in this situation, but he'd wanted this. He didn't know how she knew, he didn't even know until her lips were quieting him, and smothering his fear. Something had happened when he'd taken her hand, he'd felt it. A sudden, crazed rush pouring into his mind. It was as though she had been inside him, and touched his very core. He could feel her in him still, and he had to admit, it was not an altogether unpleasant sensation. She had always treated him with such warmth and affection, and she left the same feelings behind inside him now. He realized he could have this, he could have flesh and blood, and he could have her, if he just gave up the encryption codes. He was so close to what he wanted more than anything, and the queen was certainly willing to give it to him, if he just offered a little co-operation in return._

Naseema pulled away from him slowly. She kept her large, inky black eyes on his, and gazed at him affectionately, keeping her arms around his neck. He searched her face for any sign of duress.

_She had not been forced to kiss him, not really. She was under the queen's influence, but it was still her in there, wasn't it? The queen couldn't force her to perform a physical action with only her thoughts could she? Naseema had kissed him because some part of her wanted to kiss him, just as he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do more than kiss her._

He slid his arm around her waist, and pressed his hand into the small of her back as he kept their eyes locked. He tugged her closer, and buried his mouth on hers again. She tightened her arms around his neck as he pushed her lips open with his, searching her tongue out, and she let him, she more than let him, she met him full force.

_He wanted, so very badly, to let himself succumb to her. He hadn't even been aware that he'd wanted her like this until she was already kissing him. A tiny voice in the back of his mind was telling him to go ahead, to lay her down on the floor, to tear her clothes off, to take her, telling him she wanted him to, and that he didn't care if the queen was watching. The rest of his mind did care though. The rest of his mind knew that this wasn't really Naseema, and that if he let himself go any further, the wonderful feeling he had right now wouldn't last, and once she was no longer under the queen's control, she would hate him. He would be no different than Lore, and that would be unforgiveable. He had to get them out of here. A new plan was forming in his mind. He realized he had the upper hand now. He didn't understand many things, and he didn't understand how or what had happened in the instant he'd touched her hand, but he did understand what was happening in this instant. He had another opportunity to pull them through this. Maybe she hadn't intended to, or maybe she had, but Naseema had given him something to use. She had given him herself, and while he hated having to involve her in his plan, especially in this manner, he could see no other options. He had to convince the queen that he was on her side now, and the beautiful Feeonix was the way to do it._

He slid his hand back to her hip, and broke their kiss. Her black eyes were glowing, but he still found no trace of his friend in them. She gazed up at him, her expression peaceful, and he rested his forehead on hers. "I want you," he whispered.

"I know you do, and you can have me, Data. Just give me the encryption codes, and I will make all your dreams come true," she said.

_He almost believed her, and part of him did believe her, and still wanted to betray everything he had faith in just to hold her, taste her, and feel her touch his new, raw flesh again, but her promise was a mirage, and he knew that. He did his best to keep his thoughts focused. He knew Naseema and the queen were communicating telepathically, and he knew that somehow, Naseema seemed to know what he was thinking. If his plan was to be successful, he would have to keep it from her. He needed to remain calm now, and let these events play themselves out._

The queen was smiling now, her silver eyes gleaming with assured victory. "Let's continue," she said. "The others will come soon, and we must be ready for them."


	5. You Must Not Cry

Data let Naseema lead him back to the table where he lay down willingly. The Borg drones moved in again, ready to continue their project, and mercifully, didn't attempt to restrain him again. Naseema stood next to him, and took his hand, stroking it gently. "Do not be afraid," she told him. "This will not hurt, and when it is over, you will be a new man, and then we can be together." He nodded and squeezed her hand, trying to control the fear that was creeping it's way back in. Once more she seemed to know he was afraid, and softly caressed his cheek. "Shh, it is alright," she soothed. "Just keep your eyes on mine." She sat there with him, his hand in hers, while the drones did their work. They replaced half the skin on his face with fresh, pink, organic flesh, and gave him a human eye, a blue one, at her request.

_She tried to re-enter his mind again, but she was too exhausted. The internal battle had drained her nearly completely, and even the voracious predator inside her knew it would need to hibernate soon. She needed the energy she had left to remain conscious. Besides, the predator already gotten what it wanted for the time being, and there was nothing left to gain by forcing herself back in._

The queen had seemed pleased up until this point, when her demeanor suddenly darkened, and both the Feeonix, and the android could tell something had happened. Something to seriously upset her plans. She'd been slowly circling the table, carefully watching the drones transform Data's face before she abruptly turned to Naseema.

_**Our plan to bring the others here has failed. He is attempting to destroy the ship. You must bring me Locutus.**_

_**Highness, he is human, I cannot-**_ She glanced back at Data, still lying on the table, his handsome face now a strange blend of human skin, and glittering, gold bioplast sheeting. He looked at her expectantly, his one blue eye seemed to suit him, shimmering with his wonderful, gentle personality, while his dark brown hair, now tousled on one side, fell across his forehead. She blinked once as a sudden awareness crept in. The drug was wearing off.

_What the hell had she helped these monsters do to him?! The predator was receding back to it's cave, and the ambassador was horrified by what it had done! She remembered everything she'd said to him, everything she'd stolen from his unconscious. She'd violated his mind, and nearly forced him to- Oh, Data, please forgive me, I never wanted it to happen like this- Wait...there was something she was forgetting. There would be time to beg him for his forgiveness later, right now she had to remember...there had been a plan. She had to remain calm, control her thoughts, and keep the queen on board._

_**Locutus cannot hear me, highness, I am not of the collective, but Data, he is a machine. He can contact Locutus, and bring him here, **_she said, turning back to the queen. The malevolent Borg leader nodded, and looked past the Feeonix at the android, lying mutilated, and vulnerable on the table.

"Data, there has been a change of plans," she told him. "Your captain is attempting to destroy the ship. You must bring him to me." His eyes widened at the sudden demand, and he glanced at Naseema, who returned his gaze with just the slightest touch of panic in her black eyes. It was what he'd been looking for from her through this entire ordeal, a hint of the Naseema he knew, and there it was.

He sprang from the table, and moved quickly, with Naseema at his side, to the far end of engineering. Taking a quick peek over his shoulder, he saw the queen silently issuing instructions to the drones. He turned back to the Feeonix. "Naseema?" he whispered.

She looked up at him, and said nothing, but her still black eyes quickly filled with tears. He knew if the queen saw her emotion it would threaten his plan so he grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her into him as he spun around. He moved his face down to hers, as if he were going to kiss her, and whispered, "Naseema, you must not cry."

Her voice was shaking as she whispered back, "Data, I am so terribly sorry, I cannot seem to fight her. Please forgive-"

"I have a plan, but you must convince the queen you are still under her control," he said. "Do as you are told, and I will ensure the rest." She gave him a subtle nod, and he abruptly released her. She watched him as he stepped into the Borg pod, and relaxed back. Their eyes met, and she saw no malice from him, but she found she couldn't look him in the face after what she'd done, and quickly lowered her gaze shamefully before returning to the queen's side.

_**You have served us well, Feeonix,**_ the queen told her. _**Data is now one with us, and when Locutus arrives, our ultimate goal will nearly be complete. The humans will be ours, and we will complete the android's transformation. Then he will be yours.**_

Naseema smiled, and returned the queen's assertion with a polite nod. _**This has been a most illuminating experience, highness. Your wishes for this endeavor have proven fruitious. You have my respect as well as my gratitude,**_ she replied.

The queen smiled back at her.

_Using the Feeonix had proven to work spectacularly. Naseema had turned Data for her, awakened something inside him that he would be unable to set aside, and now Locutus would return to her. It was a shame she no longer needed him. She had the android now. He understood her, and appreciated what she could give him. He would make an excellent partner, and once she convinced him to kill the Feeonix, the galaxy would be theirs, but first, she would make Locutus beg her to return, and then make him watch while she destroyed his precious humanity's future._


	6. The Captain's Sacrifice

Picard, still tuned to the quiet hum of the voices in the Borg hive, heard Data call to him on the bridge. He, Worf and Beverly had just set the Enterprise's self-destruct sequence for a fifteen minute silent countdown, and were evacuating. He'd been taking his final look at the ship they'd hardly had the chance to know before going to his escape pod, but he couldn't leave now. Not while he knew Data, and possibly Naseema, were still alive. He had to help them, he owed them that much. He made his way through the eerily quiet, dark ship until he reached engineering, where he found it's doors now wide open. Borg drones passed him, barely acknowledging his presence, and he could feel the dead eyes of those resting in their pods follow him as he moved deeper into the hive. Many of them were still clad in Starfleet uniforms, a sick reminder of the humans they'd once been. Picard felt a shiver run down his spine as he approached the ship's throbbing, glowing warp core. He scanned the room for any sign of his gentle-natured assistant, and his equally gentle second officer. A familiar voice from behind startled him, and he spun around to confront it.

"Welcome, Captain." Naseema said.

A brave man, Picard found himself unusually gripped by a sudden rush of fear at the hideous hollow quality in her voice. He immediately noticed the inky blackness that had taken over her normally vibrant blue eyes, and what he'd feared was confirmed. The Borg had control of the Feeonix.

"Oh god...Naseema...what have they done to-" he whispered, but was loudly cut off by a second familiar voice, and this one brought with it a flood of terrifying memories.

"What's wrong, Locutus?" the queen asked, entering behind Naseema, her tone thick with malice. "Isn't this familiar? Organic minds are such fragile things. How could you forget me so quickly?" she spat as she continued to approach him. "We were very close, you and I. You can still hear our song."

Picard took several steps back before finally standing his ground, and letting the queen get close to him. "Yes, I-I remember you," he again whispered, almost to himself. "You were there all the time...but...that ship...and all the Borg on it were destroyed."

"You think in such three dimensional terms. How small you've become," the queen hissed back, barely letting Picard finish. "Data understands me," she continued, and glanced over Picard's shoulder as she moved past him. "Don't you, Data?"

Picard turned, and followed her gaze over to the far side of the room where his eyes finally landed on his second officer, standing motionless in a Borg pod, his face void of expression. Picard felt his stomach churn at the sight of the android's new patchwork face, and the stolen human eye. "What have you done to him?" he gasped, the horror of what Data had faced here, slamming into him like a missile.

"Given him what he always wanted, flesh and blood," the queen replied, so casually Picard was almost ready to believe he was in the middle of a nightmare instead of this gut-wrenching reality.

"And much more." Naseema added, now standing next to her captain. His head whipped over to look at her, and she raised her eyebrow at him before returning her gaze to the stoic form of the android he knew she desperately loved.

_Her subtle facial gesture had conveyed everything she'd intended it to, and he felt his heart breaking for both Data, and Naseema. It was almost too much for him to handle. He thought he'd understood the enormity of their loyalty to each other, she'd always been a brick wall when it came to Data, and despite both his Starfleet training, and his programming, the android was equally stubborn in his devotion to the Feeonix ambassador, but what was happening here was past the point of insanity. Each of them so terribly lonely, and wearing their hearts on their sleeves. It made them such easy prey for malevolent manipulators like Lore...like the queen. The Feeonix's love for the android had, once again, been used against her...their love for each other, once again, used against them both, and he feared that this time, they would be swallowed up by it, neither one able to sacrifice the other, regardless of the cost. _

"Oh, Naseema, not like this," Picard said gently, but she ignored him, and stepped away, moving towards the one who now had control of her mind. Picard returned his gaze to the queen, and glared at her with steely determination.

_Data and Naseema had served the Enterprise with everything they could give, repeatedly placed their lives in jeopardy for her crew, and their captain. What the queen was doing to them made him burn with murderous rage. His own assimilation had seeded an unnatural hatred in him, but now the Borg had targeted those he cared about, and that crossed an unspeakable line. Even if it meant his own life in exchange, he would ensure Data and Naseema's freedom, they had earned it. He only hoped the queen would accept his offer...and that his two trusted friends would finally reveal to each other how they felt...before it was too late for them._

"Let him go," he said with a calm steadiness. "Naseema too, they're not the ones you want."

"Are you offering yourself to us?" the queen replied, arching a brow bone, her tone weighty. She glanced at Naseema, who blinked, and returned the queen's look with a placid expression.

"That is what you wanted, is it not, highness?" she asked, almost too politely.

"Offering myself?" Picard asked, his brow furrowing as he moved his eyes between the two women. "That's it," he gasped as the realization struck him. "I remember now. It wasn't enough that you assimilate me, I had to give myself freely to the Borg," he paused before adding, "to you."

"You flatter yourself!" the queen snapped, insulted, and pointedly turned her back to him, stalking away. "I've overseen the assimilation of countless millions! You were no different." Her voice was loaded with a strange mix of venom and indifference, designed to confuse, but Picard saw through it.

"You're lying," he boldly countered. The queen stopped dead in her tracks, and spun around, her silver eyes wide with shock at his audacity. Picard continued before she could respond, "You wanted more than just another Borg drone! You wanted a human being, with a mind of his own, who could bridge the gulf between humanity and the Borg! You wanted a..._counterpart_, but I resisted. I fought you."

"You can't begin to imagine the life you denied yourself," the queen replied, her regal arrogance was astounding, but Picard had already made his choice, and he moved forward with a smile.

"It's not too late," he said, his voice becoming calm, and soothing. "Locutus could still be with you, just in the way you wanted..._an equal_." He came up close to her, and looked in her eyes with firm resolve. "Let Data go, and I will take my place at your side...willingly, without any resistance."

The queen relaxed her posture, and gazed at Picard almost tenderly. "Such a noble creature, a quality we sometimes lack," she said sweetly. "We will add your distinctiveness to our own." She touched his face delicately, drawing her gloved fingers across his lips. "Welcome home, Locutus."

Naseema smiled at the queen's affectionate gesture. "All is as it should be," she said softly.

The queen looked over Picard's shoulder at the android still frozen in place. She blinked purposefully, and the forcefield surrounding him released. "Data, you are free to go," she told him.

"Data, go," Picard said, his tone turning stern as he kept his eyes locked on the queen. "Take Naseema with you."

"No," the android replied, determinedly, and Picard whirled around to stare at him, his eyes wide with horrified surprise as Data added, "I do not wish to go."

Picard jerked his head towards Naseema, praying she would hear reason and leave, praying Data would follow her, but instead she offered the android a beguiling smile, and when he returned it, Picard's heart sank.

_He was too late. They'd been through too much, and were already lost. The queen had presented them with an offer simply too great for either of them to refuse, and the sacrifice he'd been prepared to make was for nothing. They were all doomed._

A sickening smile of smug satisfaction spread across the queen's lips. "As you can see," she said. "I have already found an equal. Data, deactivate the self-destruct sequence." The android descended from the pod, and moved to the control panel with unquestioning obedience.

Picard's eyes widened further as he watched him follow the queen's order without hesitation. "Data, no, don't do it!" he cried as he shot forward with increasing alarm. "Data listen to me!" The growing panic in his voice was audible, but Data ignored him, his fingers moving deftly across the panel until the computer clarified the deed had been done. Picard let out a frustrated sigh, desperate for a way out of this, refusing to believe Data and Naseema would betray everything they'd stood for.

"Now enter the encryption codes, and give me computer control," the queen continued as Data turned to face her, anticipating her next instruction.

Picard glanced back at her, and saw Naseema had moved to her side again.

_He knew the Feeonix would be of no help to him now, her mind was in a tunnel, and the queen had complete control of her, but Data was still capable of free thought, he had to get through to him. _

Picard returned his attention back to the android, and raced forward,"Data!" he barked, and was again ignored. He softened his voice to a quiet plea, his hazel eyes mirroring the emotion inside him. "Data," he begged, but the only acknowledgement he received was a cold stare of indifference. Data then moved briskly past him to join the two women.

He stood beside Naseema, and ran his hand affectionately down the length of her hair before bringing it to rest in the small of her back. Then, looking at Picard with the same icy stare, he smirked and said, "He will make an excellent drone."


	7. Resistance Is Futile

Picard found his feet frozen in place as he watched with renewed horror, a pair of satisfied smiles creep across the lips of both the queen, and the Feeonix. Two drones moved on him then, each grabbing an arm with all the delicacy of a pair of drunken Nausicans. He continued to stare at his ambassador, and her android protector with total disbelief as the drones forced him towards the view screen. They shoved him back against the hard rear of a pod, and one held the saw-like implement that was it's arm, against his throat.

"I am bringing the external sensors online," Data informed the queen once he'd moved to the main console, his fingers dancing across the controls as he readied the ship's arsenal.

Naseema remained beside the queen, and the two of them stood in front of Picard, closely watching for his reaction to their next move, the twisted smiles still present on their faces.

"Quantum torpedoes locked," was Data's next update, and Picard could barely bring himself to look at the monitor, as the computer locked onto the tiny, primitive vessel that was humanity's future.

"Destroy them!" the queen commanded, and Picard held his breath as he watched Data raise his hand, and then with one finger, hit the button that would annihilate mankind as if he were simply ordering lunch.

The queen tilted her chin up, and narrowed her eyes at Picard as they watched the torpedoes barrel towards their target. Each one capable of inflicting crippling damage to a ship equal in size to the Enterprise. Data had fired three of them, total overkill for a ship as miniscule as the Pheonix. The tiny ship would be obliterated. "Watch your future's end," she sneered, holding herself high with the victorious poise of a spoiled deity about to crush an entire civilization under it's foot.

Picard tried to shut his eyes, but found he couldn't look away. His breath left him, and he was sure his heart had stopped. The brilliant blue lights that were the quantum torpedoes crossed the distance between the two ships in what seemed like slow motion. In the next instant, Picard was sure he witnessed a miracle. The three glowing lights whizzed right past the tail end of the Pheonix, and the tiny ship continued the flight that would bring mankind out of the dark ages. His faith came rushing back to him as he saw both the smile flash across Naseema's face, and the look of acrimony that flooded the queen's. Her head snapped around, and he followed her eyes straight to Data's, which were now filled with burning contempt, directed solely at the malignant bitch who thought she could break him.

"Data!" she roared, her fury roiling up to such an explosive pinnacle, Picard was sure she would spew fire with the android's name.

Data stared her down, his own anger surging up to match hers in strength and ferocity. "Resistance is futile!" he snarled back at her from where he now stood, directly beside the warp core's right plasma coolant tank. Without even a micro-second of hesitation, he twisted his body, and violently swung his arm into the casing, completely decimating it. The tank erupted with volcanic brutality, and the gas exited it's chamber with such force, it blasted Data right off his feet, and completely enveloped him as it swept him backwards until Picard lost sight of him.

The fumes of the toxic coolant neutralized the last of the queen's hold on Naseema, and the oily black signature of the mind-controlling drug vaporized from her eyes, returning them to the familiar deep blue. The Feeonix flew into furious action, and grabbed a hold of the saw-armed Borg, shoving it's implement back into it's own face before using her foot to heave it into the oblivion of the plasma coolant swirling below them. She met Picard's astounded gaze, and motioned for him to scale up the Borg pod. "We must move quickly now, sir," she told him, and flashed him a quick smile before she positioned herself between him and the queen. The queen meanwhile, was staring with growing horror at the rising gas river surging along the floor. She spun around to face the Feeonix, who met her with collected cool. "I am not stupid, _highness_," Naseema said pointedly. "I am fully aware one of your goals was to kill me."

"That is now my _only_ goal," the queen hissed back, lunging at her. Naseema deftly avoided her grasp, and body checked her aside before scrambling up the Borg pod behind Picard. He grabbed one of the writhing, artificial tentacles descending from the ceiling, with one hand, and pulled Naseema up with him using his other. She held onto his shoulders as he tried to manoeuver them to the safety of the second-level catwalk. The queen, still seething, ascended the pod after them, and snaked her long fingers around Picard's leg. He tightened his grip on the tube with a groan as the extra weight dragged them down. Naseema let herself slide down Picard's torso, and swung her foot at the queen in an attempt to dislodge her. The queen, now almost blind with rage, grabbed the Feeonix instead, deciding that if she would die, she would take with her this ridiculous creature who had succeeded, where she had not, to secure the loyalty of these two men. She ground the pointed tips of her armored gloves into Naseema's soft hips, and growling angrily, yanked her downwards. The tube in Picard's grip began to tear from it's fastening, and he felt the Feeonix loosen her hold on him. He grasped at her, desperate to maintain his hold.

"Naseema! Don't give up!" he cried.

"Sir," she replied with resigned calm. "You must let me go or we will both die."

"No!" he bellowed, now scrambling to keep his hands locked on the slipping tube, as well as the falling Feeonix, determined not to let the queen take anything he valued with her. He turned his eyes to the ceiling, searching frantically for another handhold. Then his prayers were answered. A pair of slender, shimmering, gold-flecked hands rose up from the coolant cloud, and fastened themselves around the queen's waist with an iron-like grip. Data's head and shoulders appeared next, the organic flesh having dissolved, exposing the brushed metal texture of his duranium skull, and the colorful, blinking lights of his circuitry. It was the most beautiful sight Picard had ever seen. The android, his jaw clenched with undaunted fortitude, started to drag the queen down into the gas with him. She screeched, and clawed at the Feeonix, who was now struggling against her, resolved to help her android protector win his battle. The queen finally faltered, and her fingers slid down Naseema's leg, as she lost out to Data's strength, and they both fell back into the thick mist of the plasma coolant, and disappeared. The queen's hideous, unearthly screams echoed across the vast expanse of engineering as her organic components were liquefied by the plasma coolant, until there was silence.


	8. Zero Point Six Eight Seconds

Naseema reasserted her grip on Picard, and wrapped her arms around his neck as he used both hands to grab another tube, and swing them to the solid foothold of the catwalk's grating. Once their feet were firmly planted, Picard hugged the Feeonix tightly to him, and they stayed frozen there for several seconds, both gasping with relief before making their way along the catwalk. They moved quickly, keeping each other close, each maintaining their tight hold on the other as the Borg pods popped, and crackled next to them, spitting neon sparks as the collective collapsed. The reached the control panel on the far side of the second level, and Picard activated the emergency ventilation. The gas rapidly dissipated, revealing the Borg carnage on the floor below.

Naseema quickly scanned the room, and unable to locate Data, she followed Picard down the ladder to the main level. They picked their way through the tangled metal of the Borg bodies, taking in the enormity of what the Borg had done to engineering, and how close they'd once again come, to imminent destruction. Naseema noticed her captain seemed to be searching for something, and she stopped with him when he abruptly halted his silent quest as his eyes found what he'd been looking for. It was the flesh-less corpse of the queen, her synthetic skull, with twitching, blinking spine attached, still in her armour-clad, artificial body. She stood at his back, and watched him with quiet understanding as he stooped next to the predominantly lifeless body, and picked up the skull. He almost appeared to be examining it, but then he tightened his hand around the fifth vertebrae, and snapped it apart. It's red lights flickered, went out, and the twisting metal went limp. He dropped the two pieces unceremoniously, but before he could turn around to face his ambassador, a soft, gentle voice caught both their attentions.

"Captain," Data said quietly. Picard and Naseema each spun around towards the sound, and saw the android sitting on the floor, leaning against a pod. They very pod they'd climbed to escape the river of plasma coolant.

"Data!" Picard exclaimed as he straightened himself up, and hurried over to his second officer. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking the android over with concern. Naseema stayed where she was paralyzed as everything that had happened in the last eighteen hours came rushing back to her.

"I would imagine I look worse than I-" Data replied, pausing to let out an amused sigh, "feel." He glanced past Picard at the body of the queen. "Strange," he said quietly, his voice slightly shaky. "Part of me is sorry she is dead."

"She was unique," Picard replied.

Data continued to gaze at the pieces on the floor. "She brought me closer to humanity than I ever thought possible, and for a time, I was tempted by her offer." he admitted.

Picard furrowed his brow with sudden concern. "How long a time?" he asked. Neither man heard Naseema hold her breath.

"Zero point six eight seconds, sir," Data replied with a weak smile. "For an android, that is nearly an eternity."

Picard gave the android a relieved smile in return for his confession, and extended his hand. He pulled Data to his feet, and followed his gaze as it moved over his shoulder to meet Naseema's tear-filled eyes. This time it was Picard's turn for quiet understanding as he watched Data approach the Feeonix, who was still frozen in position. They said nothing to each other, but each one's eyes searched the other, and time seemed to stand still as Picard waited for some kind of reaction from either of them.

_He didn't know exactly what had transpired between the pair, but he had his suspicions, and he knew them well enough to know that whatever had happened had changed the gravity of their friendship. Trusts had been shaken to their foundations. Hidden desires, and buried emotions had been revealed, and remained unresolved. The kinds of things one keeps deep in their soul, and that have the power to destroy friendships, even ones as strong as Data and Naseema's. He had seen them come through harrowing experiences before, and their last run in with the Borg, and Data's vicious brother pushed its way to the forefront of his memory. Naseema had confessed to him what Lore had done to her, and made him swear never to tell Data. He had kept his word, and even though he knew the Feeonix still suffered from that terrible incident, she never let on that anything was wrong. She had refused to let it change her feelings for Data, and within days, it was as if nothing had interrupted their routine. It was a merciful relief for the android, who struggled to get back what he'd lost while he'd been the victim of his twin's aggressive ambition. The shoe was on the other foot now. This time it was Naseema who'd been controlled, and used by another to do harm to the ones she loved. Human sensibilities called that full circle, but these two were not human, and didn't see things the same way as their human friends. He harbored serious doubts that they would recover from this as quickly, and that was even if they recovered at all, but he hoped against hope that they were strong enough not to let it permanently damage their faith in each other. They belonged together, and he, just as every other member of the crew, could see it. He wanted that for them. They deserved it._

After they stood there, almost touching, for what seemed like hours, Naseema finally flung her arms around Data's neck. She buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, and held on for dear life. Abrupt gestures of affection usually left the android in a state of shock, but this time there was no such reaction from him. Picard felt his heart swell as he watched Data tenderly circle his own arms around the Feeonix's small frame, and squeeze her tightly to him. He rested his head on hers, and they stayed there for several minutes, silently holding each other. The android release a long, pent-up sigh of relief, and Naseema let out several shuddering gasps, finally releasing the tears Picard knew she'd been fighting to keep at bay. He wondered if he would be able to slink from the room unnoticed, but just as he'd decided to take his first step backwards, the pair broke their embrace. Naseema took Data's face in her hands, completely at ease with the missing eye, and skin. He started to let his hands slip from her back, but stopped, and held them at her waist. Picard's swollen heart skipped a beat as he was sure Naseema was about to kiss the android, but she didn't, and Data only rested his forehead against hers for a few seconds before they separated completely, and came over to join their admittedly disappointed captain.

The three of them stood in the entryway, and turned to absorb the sight of the scarred and brutalized engineering section one last time before leaving for the bridge.

Naseema's sense of inappropriate humor got the better of her, and with an exaggerated sigh, she folded her arms across her chest. "Geordi is going to commit ritual suicide when he sees what these fucking Borg did to his office," she said dryly.

Picard burst out laughing, and slung his arm around her shoulder. "Naseema, my dear," he sighed. "I do believe we have earned a drink."

She glanced at him, and with a sly smile, asked, "We are not going to be drinking _tea_, are we, sir?"

He laughed again, and shook his head. "No, we are not," he replied.

Data smiled at their familiar camaraderie. _He didn't get what was so funny about Geordi committing suicide, but it put him at ease to see Naseema forget the terrible thing he had done, and return to her old self. It gave him hope that she would forgive him for taking advantage of her, and being weak enough to be so easily tempted._


	9. Epilogue

**Captain's log, April the fifth, 2063. The voyage of the Pheonix was a success...again. The alien ship detected the warp signature, and is on it's way to rendezvous with history.**

Data made his way down the corridor towards Naseema's cabin. It was two days after their ordeal with the Borg. The Enterprise was on its way to the nearest starbase for clean up and repairs, the crew was settling back into their routine, and Geordi had, thankfully, not committed suicide upon returning to find engineering in its abysmal post-Borg state. He had, however, muttered an almost continuous stream of curse words for the last forty-eight hours. Data had hardly seen the Feeonix ambassador in that time, mostly by his own choice. He'd wanted to wait until Geordi was able to repair the damage to his face and arm.

_He knew it didn't affect how Naseema treated him, but he found he was self-conscious about it, and it bothered him that seeing him like that was an unpleasant reminder for her, of what had happened in the Borg hive. He was sure she could remember everything even though she'd been under the influence of a mind-controlling narcotic, and at the mercy of the Borg queen. He continued to feel an unpleasant, nagging guilt for what he'd done when she'd been forced to try and seduce him. His plan had gone exactly as he'd hoped. The queen had believed he'd forsaken the Enterprise, and the captain, and her misplaced trust had been her downfall, but he hated that he'd had to use Naseema as part of his ploy, especially in the manner that he had. He had made a promise to her to protect her, and he'd broken that promise by allowing himself to succumb to the sudden desire inside him. He supposed he should be grateful that the queen hadn't called his bluff, and expected him to take his pretense any further. Still, he couldn't help but feel that awful twinge every time he'd seen Naseema since they'd last been in engineering together, and every time he remembered how much he'd liked the things she had done to him. Climbing on top of him, making his whole body react to her touch, pressing her soft, warm frame up against him. He'd been afraid of her at first, but once she was on him, he had realized how good she felt, and part of him didn't want to let go of that feeling. He got a strange warm sensation inside him every time he thought about her gentle kiss, the same strange sensation he had every time she touched him, but the guilt inevitably came rushing back when he recalled the one he had given her in return. He hadn't really needed to do it to convince the queen he had accepted her offer. He could have just taken what he'd already received, and played along from there, but he'd been so terrified, more terrified than he'd ever been before, and his fear had pushed his need to be sure too far. Fear didn't excuse what he'd done though, and fear hadn't been the only motivator either. He'd used his strength against her, crushed her body against his, put his lips forcefully on hers, pushed his tongue in her mouth. He'd let himself be convinced that she wanted it even though he knew she wasn't herself. He wouldn't be surprised, nor would he blame her, if she never forgave him._

He rang the indicator, and she called out a generic greeting, bidding him to enter. He took a few steps inside, and the door slid shut behind him. She was coming out of the bedroom, wrapping a thin, silk robe around herself. His eyes widened involuntarily as he realized she had been completely naked a few seconds ago, and he lowered his eyes, and turned his head away. "Naseema, I—I am sorry, you are—busy," he stammered.

_He'd come at a bad time. He was sure he was the last person she wanted to see while she was so vulnerable. His presence was bringing those terrible memories back for her. He should go. He'd already put her through enough, and now he was making her uncomfortable in her own quarters._

Naseema stopped moving towards him when she saw his reaction, and a sudden guilt filled her.

_She felt awful. She'd embarrassed him. She'd already put him through so much. She'd manipulated him, violated his mind, given away his deepest desires, and set the predator inside her loose on him, all to help a malevolent stranger. The mind-control drug was no excuse for how aggressive she'd been with him, just because she'd been too pathetically weak to fight it. She had assisted the Borg in doing unspeakable things to him, and ignored his pleas for help. Emotions were still so new to him, and she'd shown him just how torturous it could be to feel. She was grateful he'd behaved so morally when she'd forced herself on him. She loathed to think what would have happened if he hadn't, but he'd been brilliant, using the queen's own arrogance against her, and he'd once again been savior to the ship, the captain, and her. She'd set something stirring inside him with her kiss, she knew that, she could feel it. It was something she'd had no right to awaken, and now there was nothing she could do take it back. She couldn't think of anything that would ease his mind about what he felt now. What could she say? No, Data, I don't love you with every fiber of my being. No, I wouldn't have let you tear my clothes off, and completely have your way with me on the floor, in front of an audience of Borg drones. I was only following the orders of the queen. Drugs made me do it. Those were all lies, and they were cruel lies. Telling him that no part of her wanted to kiss him wouldn't make him feel better. Despite his inability to admit it, that wasn't what he wanted to hear. Telling him the truth wouldn't help either, and the truth was, she wanted him to kiss her like that again, to pull her in tight to him, and push his tongue in her mouth with as much fevered determination as he'd done before. She wanted to feel his incredible strength, feel him use it on her again. She wanted, so badly, for him to know how she felt about him, but revealing that to him now would only confuse him. He simply wasn't ready, and knowing how deeply she cared for him would only make him feel worse. Nothing she told him, truth or lie, would alleviate the guilt she knew he felt for what he perceived as a vicious violation on his part. In her worst nightmare, she couldn't think of a more terrible situation for both their true feelings to become known to him, and if he found out that she knew how he felt because she'd penetrated his unconscious, that she'd been able to hear his thoughts all this time, he'd never want to see her again. She didn't think she could live with that outcome._

She fastened the robe's sash, and tried to relax herself so he would relax. "It is alright, Data, you have not interrupted. I am always happy to see you, and you are always welcome here. You have seen me with far less clothing than this. Please do not be embarrassed. Would you like something to drink?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

He blinked a couple of times, and his shoulders finally loosened up enough to satisfy her that he was relaxing. "No, thank you. I only wished to be sure that you were—alright," he replied.

She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for being so thoughtful," she said. "Yes, I am well, I was just preparing to go into hibernation. I am very tired, and the captain insisted that I get my beauty sleep."

He returned her smile with a shy one of his own. "If you are tired, then you should sleep, but I do not think you require sleep to be beautiful," he said, and diverted his gaze for a second.

She went over to him, and took his hand gently. She tilted her head, and got him to meet her eyes. "You have always been so wonderful to me, Data. I am fortunate, and very grateful to call you my friend," she told him, and smiled at him again. He lowered his eyes away, but the shy smile remained on his lips. She knew he couldn't think of anything to say, and the silence was making him feel awkward, so she spoke again. "I must sleep now, but I will see you in a week. We will do something fun, android's choice," she said.

He nodded, and let his hand slip from hers slowly as he went to the door. She followed him, and stood in the doorway as he exited. "Data," she added, as he started to move down the corridor.

_She wanted to ask him to come back, to come and lie down with her, hold her until she fell asleep, but she knew that was foolish. Still, she wanted him to know how special he was before he left._

He stopped, and turned back to her. "Yes?" he asked, a slightly expectant expression on his face.

_He hoped she would ask him to come back. He was at a loss for anything to say to her that wouldn't sound stupid, and forced, but he wished, so very hard, that she would let him lie down next to her, and hold on to her, just for a little while, until she fell asleep. She had said the words, but he wanted to make sure that she was still his friend, and that she still trusted him. He knew it was a foolish hope, and she wasn't going to ask him back inside, but that didn't stop him from wishing for it anyway._

She smiled at him with the same warmth as before. "Thank you for being you," she said softly.

His face brightened, and he smiled back. "Thank you for being my friend, Naseema. I will miss your company this week," he replied, and then he turned and headed off down the corridor.

She leaned against the door frame, and watched him go, swinging his arms in the awkward, just slightly unnatural way he did when he walked. "I love you, Data," she whispered. Then she turned, and went back inside, the door sliding shut behind her.


End file.
